


The Terms of our Deal

by TheLiveshipParagon



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cute, Deal, Dearie, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I just love Rumplestiltskin, OUAT - Freeform, Once Upon a Time (TV) References, Original Character(s), POV Female Character, Princess - Freeform, Reader-Insert, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Storybrooke, The Dark One (Once Upon a Time)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-12
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2019-01-16 15:16:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12345237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLiveshipParagon/pseuds/TheLiveshipParagon
Summary: Reader insert.You find yourself thrown at the mercy of a strange man. With your past catching up to you quickly, can he at long last, help you solve it?





	1. The Deal is Struck

**Author's Note:**

> I'm writing this at 12am. The inspiration just hit!  
> I'm not sure how this is going to flow in the future but we'll see where it goes!

                                                                                                                   The Deal is struck                                                           
  
You ran until you could not longer breathe easy, your chest constricted and felt like it would burst and your legs were refusing to move, steadily betraying you. In the distance you could hear the mob getting closer, the torchlight invading all corners of the forest.  
  
            _Just keep going_ , you tell yourself. _If I don't carry on, they'll kill me._

            You dart quickly down a steep hill only to be faced with an impenetrable thicket. Before you lies thorns, jagged branches and rigid vines and you panic for a second, the breath coming too quickly for you and sending you dizzy. One of the hunting dogs on your trail howls and the sound fills your head.  
  
            "She's down here!" you hear someone yell.  
  
            _Oh no_ , you think. _They've found me. Well, no time to be precious. I've already got mud all over my dress, what's a few rips too?_

 You take a running leap through the thicket, the branches clawing at every inch of you and your dress shredding around you. Satin strips peel away leaving parts of yourself exposed to the thorns which bite and draw small rivulets of blood. Your hair is caught and wrenched from your head, dismantling the elaborate up-do you had worked so hard on and the jewels in your hair clatter worthlessly to the forest floor. You had cleared it and were now running up the other side of the valley.

  
            The moon was barely a sliver in the night sky and surrounded by ominous clouds. You could barely see where you were stepping. You wished with all your might you would just get through this.  
  
            "Traitor!" You hear screamed into the night. "Murderer!"  
  
            Tears stung your eyes as you fled further until your foot caught under a tree root, sending you crashing down and rolling into a ditch. All you saw was a whirl of black and silver until you hit the bottom, smashing your head upon a rock and soon all you saw was blackness.  
  
                                                                                                                          *****  
  
Daylight invaded your eyes, prying the last remnants of unconsciousness away and you awoke to the brilliant green of the forest canopy. For a second you forgot everything, the party, the dance....Edward.....  
  
            A flood of memories hits you and you just lay there, in the dirt, sobbing and staring at the sky.

             "Who said you could come onto my land and partake of that hideous wailing?" a sharp voice sounded behind you.

             You turned quickly, wiping your eyes with furious haste. Before you stood a man...well you thought he might be a man. He had the most curious skin that looked cracked like old leather but it sparkled with a golden glow and eyes that appeared unnaturally dilated.

             The man crouched in front of you and cocked his head to one side.

             "Well, dearie? I asked you a question did I not?"

             You pull yourself together. Your mother had always taught you that everyone deserves politeness, no matter how strange they may seem.  
  
            "I apologise, Sir. I meant no harm. I have been chased from my home and I fell in this ditch and hit my head. I did not mean to linger."

            "Ah," he said with a smile. "That explains the wailing. A sore wee head!"

             "No no, I was crying for something else...someone else." you say.

             He studies you for a while which puts you on edge. You stand up and straighten a little, brushing yourself down and trying to look more presentable, although your appearance was completely beyond saving.

             "Chased, eh?" He flourishes his hands and giggles. "Tell me, dearie, would it have anything to do with that unruly mob last night that ruined my spinning time?"

             Your eyes widen in fear.

             "Ah so it is that!" He exclaims, jumping up suddenly and pattering his feet like an excited child. "You've done something very bad haven't you?!"

             The words catch in your throat as you try to push the memory of that night down. Your hand goes to the pendant you keep at your neck and you clutch it desperately. The man comes very close to you, so close you see every line of colour in his irises as they snake from yellow to grey. He waves his hand up and down the length of your body.

             "What are you doing?" You ask, in barely a whisper.

             "Why, healing you of course?" He scoffs. "What did you think I was doing? Saying hello in a simpleton way?"

             You look down at yourself and see all the scratches from the thorns had disappeared and that the throbbing on the side of your head had ceased. If it weren't for the blood, you would scarcely be able to tell you had been injured at all.

             "Thank you," you stammer. "But how-"  
  
            "No no, no time for that. The mob is only on the other side of the forest and they're bound to spot you in the daylight once they come back."

             "What?! No, I have to go!"

             You pick up your skirts and make to climb out of the ditch when the man touches your shoulder.

             "Well I could hide you if you wanted a safe place to be. I do own a castle that is hidden from prying eyes."

            "By magic?" You ask.

             "Precisely! Smart girl. I can take you in but I will want something in return. I never do anything for free."

             You look at him warily. You're not sure whether this debt you would owe is going to be something sinister. He catches your expression and scoffs.

             "Oh I don't mean to take your virtue, dearie. Don't be daft!"

             You blush, a little embarrassed that you had even thought of that possibility. The man giggles at your obvious discomfort.

             "What would I have to do?" you ask.

             "Why, only tell me your story of course. A story in exchange for sanctuary. Think of it like how the wandering bards used to operate."

             You think it over. It seemed simple enough but there was something inherently off about this man, although you couldn't put your finger on it. Something about his grin was ringing alarm bells for you.

             A horn sounded in the far distance and you could start to hear the barking of dogs again. Your heart started beating quickly once more.

             "Do we have a deal?"

             "Yes," you answer quickly. "Yes I will take the deal".

             "Wonderful!" he crows. "Well, I think an introduction is in order!"

             The sounds of angry men were snaking through the air and getting closer.

             "Please may we go now?!" You hiss urgently.

             "What do you mean go?" the man asks. "We're already here?"

             "That is nonse-" You start but stop when you look around.

             You're standing in a large dining room of red and gold with sumptuous carpets and velvet curtains and everywhere you look there's trinkets and artefacts piled into the shelves and on pedestals.

           "How did you-" you begin.

             "I was trying to speak when you interrupted me so rudely, young lady," he chided with a wagging finger. "Introductions. My name is Rumplestiltskin." He gives a flourish and bows ostentatiously. "Welcome to my castle, dearie."


	2. An addition to our deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You learn a little more about your strange saviour but just who exactly is he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just seeing where the flow takes me on this one. Hope you're enjoying the journey :)

"Rumplestiltskin?" You query, a little confused at the strange name.

 He looks up at you from his bow, a little confused and perhaps a little hurt.

"You have not heard of me?"

"I'm sorry no, should I have?" you apologise.

 He straightens up and stares at you for a time. You get the feeling he's about to say something but thinks better of it. His mouth forces itself into a grin.

 "No matter, I suppose it's novel to have a fresh start with someone. Now, dearie. I'll go whip us up some food. Why don't you....get comfortable."

 You look around yourself to see if there's any seating and turn back. Rumplestiltskin is gone. You're not sure how, you only looked away for two seconds. Given how you appeared in this place you're not as shocked as you could have been. He must be some sort of wizard to disappear at will.

 You decide to look around a little. You drag your hand lazily over the wooden table. It seems at one time this was varnished with pride, now it gathers a layer of dust and is faded where the sun has hit it. You turn towards the window and see a great expanse of forest stretching out as far as the eye can see. At least you are well hidden, you think. You continue on to the back of the room where pedestals and cabinets of strange objects catch your attention. You press your face against the glass to get a better look, not daring to open it. There's some strange vials, some pieces of armour, some innocuous objects like stones and goblets. You swear one wooden goblet shimmers with light as you scan past it.

 You sigh. You're insanely curious to know what they are but you get the feeling your prying would anger your new host.

 Your turn back towards the room and spot a chipped cup on a pedestal. _Why on earth is that there?_ You think. You move towards it without thinking and bend down to peer a little closer.

 It just seems like an ordinary tea cup that has been dropped at some point. You feel no hums and vibrations from it like you did with the cabinet objects. You reach out your hand a little.

 "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" a voice bellows from behind you, making you jump and let out a small whimper.

 "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I was just looking!"

 You turn around to see Rumplestiltskin and his face is terrifying. His pupils are huge and his jaw is clenched so tight you'd swear he'd break his teeth. He seems taller somehow, though he's not a particularly tall man. You back away quickly from the pedestal.

 "She sent you didn't she?!" he roars, advancing towards you like a stalking beast.

 "Who?!" you shout bewildered, backing away at the same pace.

 "Who else, Regina! The Evil Queen! She sent you here to destroy the last memory I have of Belle! To make me weak!"

 "No! I-" your back hits the wall and you have nowhere to go. "I don't even know who Belle is and I hate the Evil Queen like everyone else! Please believe me!"

 He catches up quickly and his hand goes to your throat, lifting you up off of the floor so your feet are dangling and flailing. He face comes close to yours and you can feel the waves of rage flowing off of him.

 "Please," you choke out, gasping for air.

 He glares into your eyes, studying them as the light fades from them. Your vision is slowly becoming tunnelled and you hit his arm weakly trying to get free.

 He suddenly drops you to the floor and smiles, a predatory smile that makes his eyes glint.

 "Alright dearie, I believe you but I'm adding a new clause to our deal. You're not to touch any of my things unless you ask. I'll add it to the contract now."

 "What contract?" you ask, coughing and rubbing your neck.

 A long roll of parchment spills out before you and a quill is waved in your face.

 "Ah, this one. Just sign on the line, no need to read it."

 You've dealt with enough wily courtiers and finance masters to sign straight away and you grab the parchment from him, reading the scrawling words.

 "I said you didn't need to read it." He pushes.

 "I'm not simple, I don't sign without knowing what I am getting into."

 "Clever girl," he purrs. "Fine, fine. Read away."

 He sits on a nearby chair on the dining table and pulls his feet up, resting them there. He flicks his hand and bread and cheeses appear which he tucks into whilst you read.

 "Erm, clause 3?" you press.

 "Ah, spotted that did you?" he chuckles.

 "If the aforenamed Rumplestiltskin likes the client's tale, he can decide whether to keep the client to be his official story teller. What does that mean, keep?"

 "It means, dearie, you would stay here. You could...write my autobiography."

 "Autowhat?" You ask confused.

 "My life story. I'm an interesting man, I'm sure people are curious to know my side of things."

 "So I could never go home?"

 "Only if you're tale is good. If it's not, as you'll see in Clause 4, I'll put you back out in that field," he takes a big bite of bread and waits for you to process.

 Your head whirls. You can never go back to your home but on the other hand, staying here, with this volatile man who just tried to kill you doesn't seem much better either.

Looks like you are well and truly stuck.

 You carry on reading the final clause which he seems to have just added. The clause stating that as long as you're in his home you'll touch no objects without his permission. You fiddle with the quill a little, deciding what to do.

 "Tick tock, dearie." Rumplestiltskin says with a wiggle of his fingers. "I haven't got all day."

  _Why not_ , you think. Surely this is a better alternative than the inevitable execution that awaits you outside. You sign the parchment and then it immediately disappears, along with the quill, in a tiny puff of green smoke.

 "Wonderful," he says. "Now, eat up." He practically lobs a hunk of bread at you. "I get the feeling you'll need your strength for this story."

 "Thank you," you mumble and take a bite. The bread is soft and fluffy and tastes fresh baked. You smile a little. It's been a few days since you've had any good to eat.

 Rumplestiltskin looks at you as if not sure how to take your thanks. I guess not many people are grateful after he attempts to kill them.

 You both sit in silence eating. You don't move off the floor, not trusting your legs to work at this time until he comes over and offers his hand. You take it and he pulls you up.

 "Come with me," he says, leading you up a staircase into a large room with the most enormous fireplace you've ever seen. Surrounding it are huge cushioned armchairs with crushed velvet coverings. You suddenly realise how weary you are and you long to sink into one of those chairs to rest.

 Rumplestiltskin crosses the floor and with a wave of his hand, a roaring fire sparks to life, casting an orange glow into the room and filling every corner with warmth.

 "Sit," he commands and you gratefully do so.

  _This is bliss_ , you think as the chair supports your weight and envelops you in it's cushions. All of your tense muscles relax and you let the heat of the fire sooth you.

 Rumplestiltskin sits down in the opposite chair, the flicking firelight making his eyes seem to dance and his skin glitter more fiercely.

 "Now then," he says. "Begin."


	3. Fulfilling the Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for you to keep up your end of the bargain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Insert character's story is based on an obscure folktale called The Turnip Princess.

"Well then I guess I should start right at the beginning," You say, straightening up.

 "That's usually how this sort of thing goes," Rumplestiltskin sneered.

 You ignore him and clear your throat.

 "I'm a princess from a small kingdom on the edge of the Enchanted Forest-"

 "No no no, don't tell me, Camelot, you look like a noble sort," he interrupted.

 "No not Camelot, I'm-"

 "Elsinor!"

 "Look," you shout, "Do you want me tell this story or not because these interruptions are going to make it very difficult."

 "Fine fine," he says dismissing your comment with a wave of his hand. "I just get excited. Don't mind me, carry on."

 "I'm the Princess of Kamendia." You hesistate, waiting for him to butt in but he simply urges you on, staring intently.

 "We're a small region that specialises in harvest trade. My mother died young so it was just father and I. His courtiers used to beg him to remarry to gain stronger alliances and strengthen trade but he refused every time. He still missed my mother, you see.

 The courtiers still persisted and my father's advisor went behind his back and arranged a meeting with a widowed queen. It was said she was beautiful but fiercely strong. She arrived without warning and my father was unprepared. He did not mean to be harsh in his rejection but the queen took great offence. I'm sure you may know this queen. You believed she had sent me here."

 "Regina," Rumplestiltskin chuckled. "My my, she does like to go after the widowers. I bet she was not at all pleased at being sent away."

 You nod. "Not in the slightest. I remember her pulling out this tiny scroll and blowing ink off that turned into smoke. The smoke came for me and my father and swept us to a cave, only, we were not ourselves anymore."

 "Oh?" your host says with a raised eyebrow as he leaned forward. "Whatever became of you?"

 "She had turned my father into a huge bear and myself into an old crone. She left nothing to help us bar some cryptic words scrawled on the cave walls, _The nail shall lie 'neath the turnip and be rebirthed._ I mean, how exactly was that going to save us? We waited for years like that. I gathered water and made blankets and beds, father hunted for us in his bear guise. I thought we would never be free until along came Edward who stumbled into the cave by accident.

 Edward was the most handsome man I have ever seen and I thought immediately he must be a prince with such a noble visage. He said he was on a quest to find some magical artefact that a seer told him would bring good fortune to his kingdom. I offered him food and shelter for the night after reassuring him my father wouldn't eat him. I told him our story, although I wasn't sure at the time how much he believed of it. I woke up later to discover him deep in thought and pouring over the words on the wall. He said there was a nail hidden in the moss that was buried deep into the rock. Well, you can imagine I was most embarrassed to have missed it.

 He took his dagger and pried it out and I can remember a wave of light that hit all the corners of the cave and bounced back upon my father. To my great surprise, he turned back into a man! I hugged my father and hugged Edward, thanking him for figuring out the riddle. Edward said that must mean I could change back too and he dashed outside shouting that there was a turnip field nearby.

 I didn't see him for a few days after that and I began to lose hope. Father comforted me as best as he could. I believed I would never return to my old form again.

 Edward came back on the next new moon to proudly show me he had managed to grow the nail inside a turnip. He dug it out and placed it back in the hole. There was another wave of light and I was turned into myself again. I could not believe someone had gone to such extraordinary lengths for me.

 Edward and I fell in love after that and he returned with me and father to reclaim our kingdom. It had become the vassal state of the Evil Queen but upon our return, our bannermen pledged themselves to us once more.

 I married Edward a month later."

 "What a happy story, the Prince and his Turnip Princess," Rumplestiltskin grinned and clapped his hands together. "Now dearie, tell me how you got from happy ending to being chased like a hunted fox! That, I am dying to know!"  
  
"How else do you think?" you snort. "The Evil Queen was livid that we had reclaimed our kingdom and stopped our grain trade with hers. She appeared to me one night when I was readying myself for bed. Just appeared right behind me. She said my father would pay for what he had done and if she couldn't make him stay a beast, she'd destroy the thing he loved most. Me.

 I was terrified for days after that. Nothing Edward could say could console me. Slowly, when nothing happened, I began to forget about it and focus on the ball. It's a tradition in our Kingdom that after marriage, you host a ball before leaving for your honeymoon. We were all packed and ready to leave straight after.

 We invited his family and friends from his kingdom and even some villagers from their land came also. The celebration was quaint but grand. We had vast buffets of our proudest produce and barrels of elderflower mead.

 I was so excited, at last something was going right for once...only I never made it to the ball.

 The Evil Queen appeared suddenly in my room and drank a potion in front of me. I wasn't sure what she was doing until she suddenly starting changing into the mirror image of myself, even down to the gown I had chosen and the small jewels in my hair. That was the last thing I saw before she waved her hand and I dropped to the floor asleep.

 When I woke up, all I could hear was screaming. My old nanny came bursting through the doors and began shaking me asking why I did it. I didn't know what she was talking about and I must have seemed so bewildered she believed me. She told me I had been with Edward on the stage announcing our honeymoon destination when I had turned to him and ripped his heart out of his chest before crushing it and disappearing.

 I knew instantly the Evil Queen was behind this and I told her I was being framed. She helped me escape through the secret passageways of our castle but the villagers outside saw me. I didn't have time to change so I wasn't exactly inconspicuous. I ended up running for my life and that's how I came to be in the Dark Forest."

 "My my, that is quite a tale!" Rumplestiltskin muses. "I understand now why you have a hatred for Regina, though most people have a good reason. She does step on a lot of toes."

 "I'd hardly call making me an old crone and then killing my husband and framing me for murder, stepping on my toes," you cattily reply, drawing your legs up to your chest on the chair.

 Rumplestiltskin looks at you before getting up and crossing the room. He kneels down in front of you and takes your hand. "Sorry about your Prince, dearie."

 You look at him and get the distinct impression he's not sorry at all. He looks like he has seen enough death to no longer feel it's impact. Frankly, you're not even sure you've processed Edward's death yourself.

 "It's fine," you say. "So, I have told you my story and upheld my end of the contract. What will you do with me now?"

 You look at him plaintively, hoping to catch your fate from his expressions.

 "Well...first we'll get you something more suitable to wear," he says, pointedly looking down. The top of your leg is showing through your shredded ballgown and you blush furiously.

 Rumplestiltskin clicks his fingers and you're suddenly wearing billowy white pyjamas.

 "That's better," he smiles. "Now, as for what I'm going to do, I'm going to let you sleep. I don't like making hasty decisions."

 "I thought you thrived on hasty decisions," you point out. "Like making deals."

 "Oh that's different," he giggles. "Deals are easy to make in a hurry but the terms...they can require some thinking to hash out. Now, get up, I'll take you to your room."

 You follow him, feeling the warmth of the fire slowly leaving you as you move away. You shiver slightly. You swear Rumplestiltskin notices and smiles slightly.

 He takes you to a large room where an enormous bed takes up the centre. The bed is a four poster with heavy set curtains all around, just what you'll need to block out the sunlight and get some rest. It seems like the most important thing in the world to sink on that mattress and bury yourself in the woollen duvets. The tiredness and headache is catching up with you.

 "There you are, dearie. Get some sleep and I'll find you when you wake."

 "Thank you," you say, giving him a quick hug in gratitude. He freezes on the spot and you wonder if you've offended him. You step back quickly and he gives you one last confused look before whirling around and striding out of the room.

 You immediately race to the bed and make a flying leap onto it. You bounce a little and in your tired state you giggle like a young girl. You make quick work of cocooning yourself in the covers and pull the cord to free the curtains. The space around you goes black and you curl up in your little safe world and let the sleep overtake you.

 

                                                                                                            *  
Rumplestiltskin peers through the crack in the door and watches you jump onto the bed. _What a silly wee thing she is_ , he thinks. Why ever did she hug him and why was she not more afraid of him? Most girls would be a cowering wreck after being strangled but she took it in her stride and was still able to tell him her story. She was obviously a strong girl...much like Belle. The pang crept into his heart and he watched you pull the curtains down before walking away.

  _What shall I do with this one?_


	4. A New Deal Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Rumplestiltskin let you stay in his castle or will you be thrown out to the mercy of the mob?

You start to stir, slowly stretching out like a languid cat as the sunlight hits you.

  _Sunlight?_ You question yourself. You had drawn the curtains closed. Your eyes snap open and rest on the form of Rumplestiltskin who is sat in an armchair, hands tented together and his chin resting on the point.

 "How long have you been there?" you ask, a little bewildered and caught off guard.

 "Long enough, dearie. You sleep so heavily I was wondering if you were going to rouse before sundown."

 You sit up, rubbing your eyes. You must have been asleep for a good few hours. The sun was just beginning it's downward arc over the treeline.

 "I'm sorry," you feebly offer.

 "Whyever are you sorry?" he laughs. "You were chased throughout the night and then knocked yourself out. I didn't think you'd wake until midnight." He flashes you a genuine smile and you can't help but smile back. That smile changes his features. You can't explain but it brings a bit of warmth to his face.

 "So?" you say, nervously fiddling with your hands. "Have you made your decision?"

 "That I have," he says, straightening up and crossing one leg over the other. "You're to stay with me."

 "And write your story down?" you ask.

 "No, as I said, sometimes my terms will change. I want you to keep a ledger for me. A ledger of all my deals and what is owed. Do that for me, my dear and you can stay."

 You think it over. It sounds oh so simple when put like that. Do I go back and try and explain I was framed to my kingdom and risk being hung or stay here and keep records for this man in a castle hidden from the world?

 "I'll do it!" you exclaim. "I'll be your bookkeeper!"

 "Excellent! Excellent" He titters and produced a fresh new contract for you to sign.

 

Clause 1 - _The aforementioned client is now at the service of Rumplestiltskin to keep a ledger of all deals brokered and debts owed as well as debts completed._

 

Clause 2 - _The aforementioned client will receive bed, board and clothing for her services._

 

Clause 3 - _The aforementioned client will still not touch anything without the permission of Rumplestiltskin._

You laugh at the last clause. Seems he had a sense of humour at least. You take the quill from his outstretched hand and sign with a flourish.

"Well my dear, I'm going to show you to your new bookkeeper's quarters. Follow me, oh well...get changed first, it's awfully drafty in this castle this time of year. Clothes are in the closet. I'll wait outside."

 He leaves you alone and you get yourself out of the bed, though it's hard to tear yourself away from the comfy pillows. You cross to the closet and open the huge door. You mouth falls open at the sheer number of clothes that are in there. Not just women's but men's and children's too from luxurious ballgowns to villager attire. You wonder briefly how many people have been through these halls.

 You pick out a white chemise with a green velvet sleeveless overdress whirl around slightly, taking delight in how the dress spins with you. You spot a vanity table in the other corner and go to sit down.

 Your reflection startles you as you look into the mirror. You look gaunt with huge circles under your eyes and your hair...well that has seen better days. You grab a brush and yank it through, trying to restore some order to yourself. It takes you a while but you manage and you gather your long hair in a plait to keep it off your face. _It won't do to have hair falling in the ink_ , you think.

 You meet Rumpelstiltskin outside and he regards your appearance. "Much better, less like a stray waif and more like a lady." He offers his arm to you and you link yours with him as he strolls down the dingy corridors.

 "Forgive my curiousity but why do you have so many clothes?" you ask.

 "Some were volunteered in exchange for deals, some were left by visitors, some were taken from the people who crossed me."

 You stop in your tracks, "You mean I might be wearing a dead person's clothes?"

 "Relax dearie, that ensemble in particular belonged to an errant girl who ran away from home and wanted to find some adventure in her life."

 You relax a little and begin to walk again.

 "Although to be fair, she did slightly....expire soon after. Young girls think they can take on the world sometimes. Ogres don't readily agree," he added with a mischievous smirk.

 You tense, wondering if he was joking or not. It was hard to tell with him.

 You came to the room and he opened it with a big flourish and bow. "This will be the room for your new trade."

 You walk inside. There are rows upon rows of books lining one wall, all in the same red bound leather. One the other side was a vast desk with bottles of ink lined in a row and a pot of many quills. Behind it lay a window covered in candles, the wax having solidified and run down the stonework.  
  
You pick up one of the books and see all the pages are blank but lined.

 "All of them are the same," Rumplestiltskin offers.

 You nod and take the book over to the desk, laying the first page bare on the wood.

 "So....how do I start?" you ask, casually kicking your foot across the floor. "Are you going to list your deals to me?"

 Rumplestiltskin laughs and it's a laugh that comes straight from his belly. "Oh my dear, that's amusing! No no noo, I have places to be! I would be here for days and I always have new deals to make. I shall summon my deals onto scraps of paper for you."

 He waves his hand and in the corner of the room some papers appear. You think that's quite a vast amount until you realise the pile is still growing and spilling into the centre of the room as it the mound collapses under the sheer volume.

 "Are you jesting?!" you squeak. "I'll be here for years!"

 "That's the idea, dearie. You signed on for this!"

 He grinned and moved towards you, so close that you could feel his breath upon your skin. You weren't sure if he was going to hit you or kiss you, his anger was never easy to gauge.

 "Make sure it's neat and legible. This is the first quarter of my deals to get you started. You may finish and return at sundown each day and I'll send food up for you."

 He reaches out a hand and cups your face, leaning closer. You feel like at any moment you'll lose your balance and crash straight into him.

 He pulls your chin up and whispers in your ear, "Enjoy, dearie. I'll be back for you later." Just like that, he's gone.

 You stumble backwards, clutching the desk chair for support. _What on earth were you thinking?_ you scolded yourself. _You've just lost Edward and you're wondering if this virtual stranger was going to kiss you?!_

You shake your head, clearing away the dizziness and move towards the vast pile. You simply have no idea how to get started. Were they even in a date order or did he want them alphabetical? You had no clue.

 You guessed the only option was to sort them into some sort of orderliness before you even started writing things down.

 You pulled the nearest piece of paper to you and looked down upon it.

  _Sir Maurice - Preventing an ogre attack - Deal Struck: Protection offered in exchange for his daughter Belle's eternal servitude. Status - completed_

This is going to be a long day, you think, sighing.


	5. Enacting the deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to get to work dearie!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day? Well it's my day off, I had a writing rush so why not! Thanks to those still reading!

You spend most of the rest of daylight hours sorting the pile into alphabetical order before deciding that that was enough for the day. Your lower back ached and you rubbed it hard, trying to loosen the knots. Although you'd only gotten up hours before you were already ready for bed again.

 You walk back down the dingy corridor and start to hear raised voices down the corridor. On a whim, you shuck your shoes off and creep down the corridor barefoot and silent to see what was going on.

 You poke your head slightly around the entrance to the dining room and saw a handsome man in a large fur cloak who was arguing with Rumplestiltskin. You can't quite make out what they were saying but you see the man being given a map and him tossing his cloak on a nearby table before storming off.

 You watch as Rumplestiltskin picks something off of the fur of the cloak and go to a cabinet of vials before dropping whatever it was into some liquid. It glows pink and he smiles with pure delight before placing the vial back down and worrying his hands excitedly. He stares for a time at his collection before the smile turns from delight to amusement.

 "You're not very subtle, dearie," he calls to you, turning in your direction.

 You let out a small squeak, unsure whether to flee back to your room or move into the dining room.

 He waves you over and you dutifully patter to his side.

 "In the habit of eavesdropping are we?" he purred, taking the end of your plait and twirling it round his fingers.

 "I'm sorry, I just heard raised voices and I wanted to make sure everything was alright," you say, not daring to move an inch.

 "I'm the Dark One, child. There's not many people out there who can best me."

 "The Dark One?" you ask, perplexed.

 His eyes snap to yours, a look of pure bafflement on his face and he drops his hand from your hair. "What on earth do they speak about in Kamendia?! The Dark One, you know, the source of ultimate evil. That's me."

 He steps back and bows and you can't help but laugh. He genuinely looks like you have thrown him off guard.

 "Ultimate evil? Not from what I have witnessed. A bit of a temper mind but what man doesn't have the capacity for that?" you say chuckling.

 "I don't think you're quite getting this," he says pointedly. "You think the Evil Queen was bad? I trained Regina in her dark arts before she went off and tried to destroy most of the kingdom. I taught her all she knows."

 That does make you freeze. In your heart of hearts you know he speaks the truth but you can't quite connect in your head that this man before you with his strange mannerisms could be more of a monster than her.

 "It finally clicks I see," he said and returned to looking at his vials. "No doubt you're cursing signing that contract. I did think it strange you had not heard my name but I was sure you would know of The Dark One. I didn't believe you to be that sheltered."

 "I was banished to a cave for ten years," you retort. "And no I don't regret signing that contract. You may tell me all these horrible things about you but I've not seen them for myself so how can I think of you as anything other than what I do now?"

 He comes up close to you again. This is starting to become an unnerving habit. "And what do you think of me, little Turnip Princess?"

 "I think you are lonely," you answer honestly. "I think you've lost a great many people you care about and that is why you act out in the way that you do but deep down you crave closeness and love."

 You see a flash of pain cross his face. _I've said the wrong thing_ , you think. _I've hurt him._

"You're just like her," he whispers to himself.

 You don't ask who. You suspect it's probably something to do with the teacup on the pedestal but considering his reaction last time you don't want to push him.

 Rumplestiltskin takes your arm and pulls you to him, wrapping his arms around you and burying his face in your hair. You sense the great loss emanating from him in waves and embrace him back, moving your hand along his shoulders in a soothing motion. You feel the muscles in his body relax.

 "Belle."

 It's almost lower than a whisper but you catch it all the same. You remember from the papers he had left you to organise, Belle, the princess brought into his servitude. He must have fallen in love with her and he had lost her. You wonder how long ago that was before you came to this castle.

 Your hand moves to the back of his head and you stroke the wavy lengths of hair and he immediately tenses, wrenching you back from him and pushing you slightly away.

 "I'm sorry!" you croak out meekly.

 "Get to bed," he growls, a slight tear at the corner of his eye. "You've got work to do tomorrow." He dismisses you with an angry wave of his hand and have no other choice than to leave. He almost hisses as you go.

 You find your bedroom again and pull on the roomy pyjamas before settling back down on the mattress. Sleep does not come easy this time and you stare at the bed's canopy just running through the last two days events in your mind.

 Your kingdom and your old life already feel like such a long time ago. Had you been out here longer than you thought or were you repressing the events so much they seemed like a distant nightmare? You weren't sure any more. All you knew is that your new life was now here in Rumplestiltskin's castle. It was your new world with all it's strange curiousities, rules and of course, The Dark One.

 The Dark One, you ponder. The name doesn't suit him at all.

 The last image you hold in your mind before sleep comes is the contented face he made when he held you.


	6. The Deal's Curiousities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You swear Rumplestiltskin has started to avoid you. Will you ever see him again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got out of work early today and decided to write something a bit longer. Hope you like it!

The days that followed blurred into one. You rose, you wrote and Rumplestiltskin made food and drink appear on a side table next to you with helpful missives such as 'Don't starve' and 'Oops, I forgot, you need to drink at some point today'. You were certain he was avoiding you after that night.  He had left you a note on the ledger table stating he was going to be quite busy and not to expect to see him for a while. You certainly hadn't seen him for at least two weeks.

  _Borard - Yielding a good harvest on the farm for generations to come - Deal Struck: To harbour a garden of poisonous plants for the personal use of Rumplestiltskin upon the farm grounds. Status - Ongoing_

Your eyes were becoming blurry from the sheer volume of words you were processing. You'd only gotten up to 'B' in the pile and you'd filled half a book. Your hand ached as you gripped the quill, willing yourself to at least finish the page before you went back to your room for the night.  
  
_Brynjar - To possess the spear of Gáe Bulg - Deal Struck: To best Rumplestiltskin in a hunting contest with only the use of spears or the aforementioned Brynjar will forfeit the Horn of Heroes. Status - Rumplestiltskin is now in possession of the Horn of Heroes._

You briefly wonder what either of those items do. During your recording you've come across a great number of objects that appear to be magical. Rumplestiltskin must hold quite the collection somewhere in the castle. You'd love to try and find it someday, you think.

 You've also come across a great many awful things whilst writing. Families torn apart, revenge killings, kidnaps and murders. The race of men could be very cruel and it seems Rumplestiltskin was the cruellest of them all and yet...you still couldn't make the association in your head. To you, the man you shared a home with was a broken man, a man touched by love to have it taken away from him. He was just crying out for human contact, a connection. You couldn't even imagine him doing...what was it again? You glance down at the page. _Status - Nullified. Berengir broke the terms of the deal and Rumplestiltskin broke his head from his body._

 You shake your head trying to process it all and stare into the setting sun outside, your skin still bathing in the glow of light flooding into the window.

  _Time to go to bed again, I guess,_ you think.

                                                                                                            *

 

The mob is gaining, the hounds nipping at your ankles as you flee. The ground before you stops abruptly as you reach the edge of the cliff face.

 "Murderer!" They shout, jabbing torches towards you.

 "I'm not!" you sob. "Please believe me, that wasn't me!"

 "Witch!" They cry and thrust pitchforks towards you making you step back. Your feet are barely on the earth any more and you wobble trying to hold your balance.

The crowd parts and the Evil Queen in her terrifying glory strides in, her jacket tails trailing behinds her. Her lips curl up in a wicked smile and she whispers to you,

"People never cross me and live, little princess."

With that, she shoves you off the cliff side and you go tumbling to the rocks below as the darkness rushes to meet you.

 

                                                                                                             *

 

You wake with a gasp, trying to force air into your lungs. Your clothes are drenched in sweat and you hair sticks uncomfortably to your neck.

 "It's just a nightmare," you tell yourself out loud.

 It's still night outside. The moon has reached it's apex and is casting a ghostly glow into the room. You shiver as you wrench the covers off and stand. You don't want to be in this room any more.

 You cross to the closet and pull a long dressing robe out, wrapping it around you and pulling the belt tight. You feel a little better for the extra comfort. You open the door and pad out to the dining room, hoping there may be some water or something stronger for you to quench your thirst with.

 You stop when you see the candlelight flickering in the hall. _Is he still awake_ , you ask yourself. Now you are still you can hear the faint sounds of movement, almost as if some mechanism is working.

 You don't want to sneak up like last time. You have a distinct feeling Rumplestiltskin knows when you are nearby so you stride into the room with purpose.

 You see him in a loose white shirt and brown slacks at a spinning wheel, humming to himself as he pulls straw through the spindle. You're not entirely sure but the thread he is pulling through seems to be glittering as the candle moves.

 "Couldn't sleep, dearie?" he asks, not even looking up.

 "I had a nightmare," you confess. "I was looking for something to drink."

 He takes one hand from the length of thread and waves it. A pitcher of water and a glass appears on the table.

 "Thank you," you say, crossing the hall and pouring yourself a glass before drinking the entire contents. The water is deliciously cold and you feel it working its way down into your stomach.

 "My my, you weren't jesting. Must have been some dream," he chuckles quietly, still continuing to spin.

 "It was about The Evil Queen," you tell him. "I'm not sure why it's come to me now. I'm not exactly afraid of her finding me here."

 "Dreams are funny like that," he says, kicking the pile of thread he has at his feet so it is more orderly. The light catches it fully and you realise the thread is golden. "They are often a way to process that which we have already experienced. Clearly you still need to work through your past."

 "I don't really want to," you huff. "The past is the past for a reason. I only want to live my life in the present."

 He stops spinning and looks at you, a curious expression and one you've seen him give you many times. "Were it so simple for the rest of us."

 An uncomfortable silence follows and you fidget nervously.

 "Go on, dearie, I know you want to ask," he says with a dismissive look, one that says he's heard it all before.

 "Alright, I will," you pour yourself another glass before dragging a chair next to his spinning wheel and sitting down. "What's keeping you awake then?"

 He blanches. "What?"

 "You're up in the middle of the night spinning. If you've been so busy over the last couple of weeks I would have expected you to find sleep easy so something must be on your mind also."

 "You mean, you're not even going to ask me about the straw into gold thing?" he asks shrilly and both of his hands fly to his mouth.

 "I'm writing your ledger remember? Do you think this surprises me at all?"

 He burst out into laughter and throws the gold thread up in the air letting it cascade over the both of you. "Well I must say my Turnip Princess, you're certainly unexpected. No, my dear, I'm not dwelling on anything. The Dark One doesn't need sleep."

 "Oh! I see. Well no wonder you need to find something to pass the time. Must be quite soothing."

 "Precisely. It calms my mind," he says, with a twinkle in his eye. He makes as if to say something but it takes him a while to get the words out. "If you wanted, I could show you how to spin. It might calm you as well from the bad dreams."

 "I would like that," you smile.

 "Come come," he sits far back on his stool and motions for you to sit in front of him. You leave your drink on the floor and set yourself down, not daring to lean back.  
  
"Now then, dearie, let's see if you're as skilled with a spindle as you are a quill."

 He reaches around you and pulls some loose straw up from the ground before stuffing it into a receptacle.

 "Now, put your feet on the treadle down there."

 His voice is so close to your ear you almost jump. You can feel the breath against the nape of your neck and the warmth of his chest against your back as he takes your arms and places them where they need to go.

 "The trick to spinning gold is emotion," he says, placing his hands on your shoulders and squeezing them gently. "But it requires the potential for magic to do so. Anger is a good emotion to use. Don't worry if it doesn't work for you though, you just may not have the spark."

 You take a breath and press your foot down on the treadle trying to channel some anger. Only ordinary thread binds and pulls through for you. Your breath comes out in one big rush. You're annoyed with yourself but you're not sure why. Are you actually mad that you didn't impress him? The more you think about it, the more you seem to only be concentrating on his touch rather than what you're supposed to be doing. His fingers are gently massaging your shoulders as you pull the thread and the heat coming off his body is making every muscle relax, the tension of the nightmare melting away. Your own inner warmth at this comfort is making you smile and you close your eyes savouring the feeling.

 "Curious," he whispers, his hands sliding down your back and coming to rest at your waist.

 "Hmm?" you say, half in your own little world.

 "Look."

 You open your eyes. You're still not spinning golden thread but the thread you're pulling is pure silver. You gaze in amazement.

 "I did that?" you ask, awestruck.

 "You certainly did, dearie."

 You shake your head. "I'm still getting it wrong."

 "No no no," he says soothingly. "It's new, it's good. It's something I've not seen someone do before."

 You turn excitedly to see his face and can't help but grin widely. "I can make silver!" you exclaim.

 He smiles, you would say he smiles proudly but it can be hard to discern with those unnatural eyes.

 "Well done, love. Do you feel calmer?"

 "I do, I feel a lot calmer. I can see why you do this now," you lean back into him, encouraged by his words.

 His hands push through around your waist and cross themselves, embracing you as you rest against him. You feel completely relaxed. He rests his chin on your shoulder.

 "Spin some more for me," he says.

 You don't want to break away but you do so and put more straw in the wheel, gathering the thread remnants and beginning to spin again. There is no falter in your method and all the thread you make is as silver as the moon outside.

 Rumplestiltskin goes back to putting his hands on your waist and watches you silently. You stay that way for an age, you adding to the glittery pile at your feet and him gently stroking your sides with his hands. You lose all sense of time until he utters, "That's enough for one night, my dear."

 You drop the last of the thread on the floor and turn to him. His face is so close to yours. He staring with a longing. If only you could summon up the courage but all the strength has left you under the force of his gaze. He comes so close to you, closer than he's ever been. All you would have to do is tilt your head up and you would meet his lips.

 You can see the emotions swirling on his face before...  
  
"Good night, my little Turnip Princess."

 And with that he pulls away sharply, standing up and gesturing his arm out to the corridor.

 "Oh," is all you can manage before you collect yourself and stand up.

 "You've only gotten to the end of the B's so far, don't want you falling asleep on my ledgers and ruining them because you were up til dawn!" he chuckles. All trace of the warmth and affection had vanished and the mischievous looks and quirky gestures had returned. "Ta ta for now!" He says, shooing you out.

 You walk down the corridor not quite sure what to do with yourself. Your face is burning red from embarrassment. Had you misread the situation? Did you do something wrong? You pondered that as you climbed back into bed and stared out of the window until sleep crept up on you once again.  


 

                                                                                                                        *

 

Rumple stared at the silver thread in your hands. It surely wasn't possible but then no one ever tries to make silver, they only want gold. Gold is value, gold is wealth, silver is just a stepping stone. He had no idea what emotions even made silver come to think of it.

 You turned to him, so amazed at what you had done and so happy that he couldn't help but smile at you. Your vitality was contagious.

 When you leaned so trustingly back into him and relaxed, it suddenly became apparent. The emotion to make silver was contentment. He would have to note that for later. For now, he was fascinated.

 He asked you to make more and you did. He tried to replicate the circumstances as best as he could, giving you warmth, giving you a human touch. It worked but it also troubled him. He wasn't unduly hating it. Sure he had touched many a woman in his long life but sometimes it felt like a chore, a means to an end. He'd not very often felt the rush of an emotional bond before. He was being gentle, and not in an insincere way, in the way that he wanted you to relax. It seemed important to him.

 He had to stop it now before it continued. Fascination be damned, this was becoming too real He did not want to bare himself to another person again.  
  
But then...you turned to him, eyes full of pride and happiness. He couldn't help but be drawn in and he felt himself moving closer, though he wasn't making a conscious effort.

 This wasn't right, he thought. I can't do this, not after Belle.   
  
The longing pulled at him but Belle's face pushed into his mind and he told you to go to bed. He saw the disappointment in your eyes. Did she want me to? He thought. No no, she was only disappointed she couldn't spin any more. She was enjoying it.

 He covered up his awkwardness with levity and she left but he caught the glimpse of embarrassment snaking across your skin.  
  
He was questioning himself now and he didn't like it. These feelings made him out of control...weak even. He would need to be a little firmer with you in future. No more late night spinning.

 And still....he saw that smile again, the smile you gave him as he held you close.

 

_I shall have to be conveniently too busy again quite soon_ , he thinks.


	7. The Dangers of our Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're getting tired with Rumplestiltskin's hot and cold approach and decide to go exploring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a violence warning for you all. This is a pretty heady chapter. I made it a bit longer this time as I'm not sure when I'm going to next get the chance to post.  
> Thanks to those still reading!

You knew you wouldn't see him again for a while. You realised this was his pattern of behaviour. He got close, then he would run away. You weren't sure if he was scared of you or was just toying with you. Whatever it was, you didn't appreciate it. You felt your heart was being pulled in different directions.

 There was shame, shame for forgetting Edward so quickly and shame for starting to have feelings for a man that was literally termed 'The Dark One' but there was also hope and optimism. Even though your past had been destroyed and you could never return, there was the hope that something in your future would remain bright. For now though, you were stuck in an endless dance of 'almosts'.

 You set down your quill and sighed. You'd now gotten onto the 'C's of his deals. You were bored. Recording was interesting at first, it was like seeing the soul of humanity as it made terrible choices and some heartwrenching ones but now you were desensitised to it.  
  
Your leg was twitching with restlessness and you made the decision. You'd been in this castle for some months now and you wanted to explore. You'd barely seen anything beyond the dining hall, bedroom, reclining room and ledger's office. You stood up, stretching your arms up to work out the knots in your back before walking down the corridor.

 Your hand hesitated on the handle of the first door you came across, wondering briefly if Rumplestiltskin would be angry with you for leaving the tower but you remember the way he dismissed you that night and your indignance rises and you push open the door with purpose.

 The torches on the wall sconces flicker into life and your eyes begin to adjust. The wavering torchlight reflects the objects within, a gleaming mass of weapons and armour. The swords, axes and battlehammers were all placed in holders along the walls and on the far side there were bows hung on nails. The corners of the room were filled with piles of discarded breastplates, helmets and gauntlets. Your heart skipped a beat when you realised. This must be like the clothes in your closet. All of them from deals or from duels. There were too many to count. You stepped away from the room and shut the door. Your enthusiasm was waning. You rested your back against the door. It was almost like you weren't allowing yourself to fully realise the meaning of that space.

 You pushed yourself off the door and walked to the next one. Again you steeled yourself before opening it. You were immediately hit by a wave of heat and the overwhelming humidity. You couldn't even stand to open your eyes for fear the heat would dry them out and you slammed the door shut, feeling the beads of sweat forming on your brow and trickling down your face. _What was even in there?_ You think.

 Your thoughts are interrupted by a crashing coming from the dining hall and shouting. You run in that direction.

 "Rumplestiltskin!" you hear a man bellow. "Get out here you coward and face me!" More crashing sounds echo down the corridor as you blindly race towards it.

You enter the dining hall and see a burly man with wild curly hair throwing a vase across the room and it shatters on the wall next to your head, the shards just missing you.

 "Stop it!" you yell.

 The man rounds towards you and you shrink a bit under his wrathful gaze. "Where is he?!"

 "He's not here," you say, the conviction from your voice now gone. "What do you want?"

 "I want that glittering monster to face me. Now call him out here!"

 He goes over to the cup on the pedestal and picks it up before throwing it high into the air. You spring from your position and sprint towards it as it hits the peak of its arc and begins to fall to the ground. You can't let it break, it's too important to Rumplestiltskin. You catch it and bundle it to your chest before tripping and falling on your back. The cup is safe and you stand up quickly, shoving it far into the centre of the table and turning back to the man who is still raging.

 "Face me!" he roars again, storming around the room and looking around wildly.

 "Just stop!" you cry, moving towards him and holding your hands out imploringly. "Just tell me if I can help!"

 "Can you help me bring my wife back from the dead?" he hisses viciously.

 You freeze, "No, no I can't but seeking revenge is not going to soothe your heart."

 He looks at you, eyes wide and flaring. "Who are you to say what I need?! To think of it, why are you even here in this place?" He comes over and takes your face in his hands forcefully.

 "I made a deal," you say, trying to peel his hands away.

 "You're stuck here," he whispers. "Come with me, I'll free you from this fiend."

 He grabs your arm and yanks you forward. You grab his arm and try to pull back, digging your feet into the carpet.

 "No!" you cry, struggling.

 "What are you doing, girl?! I'm trying to help you!" he says, before grabbing you by the waist and throwing you over his shoulder and striding out towards the entrance hall.

You kick and squirm, pushing off his back, "Let me go!"

 He tries to cross the door threshold and you cling onto the frame. He tries to jolt you to make you loosen your grip but you dig your fingers into the wood for dear life. He drops you unceremoniously to the floor.

"You don't want to leave, do you?" he whispers, a horrid realisation spreading across his face.

 You push yourself up to a sitting position. "He's not a monster," you plead.

 He squats down and looks into your face and a ghastly smile flickers into life. "You...you're attached to him, aren't you?"

 You see his muscles tense and know what he's going to do. You jump up and shove him backwards before taking off and running towards the other side of the hall.

You can hear him gaining behind you and he grabs your dress, wrenching you back and tearing the fabric. You skitter to the ground again and he's on you, one hand at your throat and one fumbling for his dagger.

 "The Dark One took away someone I love so now I'm going to take away something from him!"

 You were scared out of your mind and began hitting any part of him you could. You scratched and tore at his face but it didn't seem to make any difference.

 "Let me go! Please!"

 He freed his dagger from the small scabbard and pressed all his weight onto the hand that was around your throat. You saw stars as you struggled to breathe and your vision was tunnelling in. The sounds of his breathing were like you were hearing it underwater. _Not this way_ , you thought. _I don't want to die this way._ He raised the dagger and you closed your eyes.

 The weight suddenly lifted and air rushed into your lungs. You coughed hard and heard through the commotion a voice you had come to know so well.

 "I'd advise you leave this place, dearie, before I get really, really mad."

 You opened your eyes and saw him, angrier than you'd ever seen him before. His eyes were practically glowing. He held a ball of fire in his hands and was poised to strike over the man who was splayed in the corner of the rom.

 "So there you are, you coward," the man laughs. "You finally face me."

 "I'll show you coward, Steinn" Rumple hisses and flicks his hand.

 The man's back arches unnaturally and he screams as the vertebrae strain and crack. He starts laughing as tears of pain roll down his face.

 "Won't even face me in a fair fight. Just proves you're weak, monster," he spits.

 Rumple crosses over to him and grab him by the scruff of his collar, dragging him to his feet. "You can try and cross me all you like but you broke our deal and I took my payment. You've no one to blame but yourself but how dare you come into my home and lay hands on my girl."

 He throws him back to the floor and grabs the stool from beside the spinning wheel before bringing it down on Steinn's head. There's a sickening crack.

 Rumple's giggling maniacally. "No magic, dearie, it's a fair fight now." He continues to bring the stool down, harder and harder. The man is twitching on the ground.

 You look on in horror, "STOP!"

 He pauses mid swing, looking at you and breathing intensely before bringing the remnants of the stool leg down one last time, breaking the man's skull open. His eyes stare vacantly into nothing as blood seeps into the carpet.

 You stomach heaves and you try to keep yourself from retching. You can't believe what you have just witnessed.

 Rumple comes over to you and you scramble away shouting "Don't come near me!"

 You push yourself up and back into the corner.

 "I'd never hurt you, dearie," he says, arms outstretched to you. "He needed to pay."

 "He needed to be magicked to some other place!" you say firmly. "He didn't deserve to die! Now I know why you're called The Dark One!"

 He looks deeply wounded for a brief instant before reverting to his strained grin. "That's where you're wrong, little princess. That man there, made a deal to steal the newborn child from another couple for his barren wife. He was meant to give me the first lock of hair that sprung from the child's head. That was it. Instead he went and murdered the child's true parents to prevent them from searching for their lost baby and broke our deal. The baby's grandfather then took revenge against his wife. So...does that sound like a good man to you? A man who just tried to kill you for being in my castle?"

 You don't answer, you just stare at him, tears threatening to fall from your eyes.

 "It's not so black and white is it?" he coos. "Good, evil. It's just a matter of perspective. Now you know my true nature, do you finally see me as others do?"

 A small sob escapes your lips and your legs lose strength, sending you with a thump onto the carpet. You can't tear your eyes away from the body on the floor.

 Rumplestiltskin looks at you plaintively before turning and waving his hand. The body disappears in a puff of smoke and the carpet is wiped clean. There's no trace of the man left.

 "Better?" he asks.

 You don't say anything at all. You just want to get away from this room. You half crawl to the doorway and only stop when you feel his hand resting on your shoulder. You flinch.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. "I'm sorry you were hurt but I'm not sorry for saving you."

 You shrug away and flee down the corridor, back to your room and back to your bed. You pull all the covers over you and openly weep in your little cocoon. You'd never seen death before, you'd never seen that side of Rumplestiltskin before but all you can think about is the glee in both of their eyes. The glee Steinn took in choking you and the glee Rumple took in killing him.

 You knew he was right. You knew he was just protecting you and the man was no better than Rumple was but you couldn't bear to let him touch you after the ferocity he'd just unleashed. How did you know he wasn't going to do that to you someday, even if he did say you were 'his girl'?

 You feel drained, you feel weak. All you want to do is wink out of consciousness and through the heavy sobs, sleep claims you.

 

                                                                                                                    *

  
He hears you. Rumple hears your cries and his heart drops. You're in danger. He has to get back to you now.

 He appears back at the castle to see one of his unhappy customers sat astride you, dagger raised. He sees your face turning red as you lose air and he snaps.

He picks up the man with magic and throws him across the room. How dare he try to kill you, how dare he even touch you! He'll pay for what he did.

 Steinn tries to provoke him and it works. Rumple's too fired up to seize back control. _If he wants to do this the old fashioned way, I will_ , he thinks. Hitting him with the stool feels good, it feels better than good. The adrenalin rush is wonderful and he can't help but laugh.

 He faintly hears your voice shouting. He turns to you. You look horrified. He wants to stop for you, he wants you not to see him like this but he's too fixated with the image of you fighting for your life and the rage takes control of his muscles bringing the stool leg down with one final hard blow.

 There's regret. Instant regret. He knows he's done something he can never come back from. You've seen him at his worst. He comes towards you but you flee his touch. You say he really is the Dark One and it hurts. There's a pang in his chest. For so long he's accepted his power and his role but for you, he didn't want you to see him that way. You who saw through his bluffs and frivolity and saw only the man, not the monster like only one other had seen before. He didn't want to lose you too.

 The lies spilled from his lips. The man wasn't really a murderer but he wanted to create doubt in your mind, doubt and maybe understanding. If he could slander Steinn's character enough you may forgive him.

 You don't even look at him, you're too transfixed by his corpse and so he removes the problem for you. Maybe if you don't see it, it'll become less real for you.

 He tries to touch your shoulder but you flinch. Another pang resounds through his chest. The damage is already done. She cannot block that from her memory. _Maybe she hates me now._

 He stands there for a while, long after you've gone into the bedroom and locked the door. He crosses over to the spinning wheel where your silver thread still lies and picks up the bundle, using magic to reform it into a silver flower.

 He comes to your room, unlocking the door with a tap of his finger. He moves silently to the chair by your bed and sits down, looking at you. He takes in the mess of your hair, the dishevelled sheets and the dried tear tracks on your face. _I'm responsible for this._ He leaves the flower on the pillow next to you and walks out the room before whispering into the darkness.

 "I'm sorry."

 

He comes back into the dining hall and sighs, taking in the carnage. He spots the overturned pedestal and a moment of panic runs through him. _Belle's cup_. He looks around wildly for, what surely must be the shards of ceramic but they're not there. He sees the cup in the centre of the table.

  _She saved it._

There was a rush of warmth through him. She cared. She cared enough to save the thing that was precious to him and nearly lost her life because of it. He grabbed the cup and turned it over in his hands, hands that were gradually losing the unnatural colour and sheen. He quickly placed it back on the table.

No, he couldn't lose his power now. He would not lose it. How could he protect her if he was just a mortal man? He filled his mind with his earlier rage instead and the joy of splitting Steinn's head open and the mottled green colour returned to his hands.

 The conflict in his head was starting again, the conflict between love and power and he placed his hands over his ears to drown out the voices.

 "Now now," he hissed.

 He pulled a dining chair from the table and placed it by his spinning wheel, frantically stuffing straw into it and beginning to work. He let the soothing action calm him and gradually his thoughts turned to nothing as he endlessly spun throughout the night.


	8. The Deal is Strained

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're still trying to process what happened last night. Are you going to decide to stay?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of angst in this chapter and more slow burn romance! Thanks to those still reading. I know I update fairly irregularly!

You felt something cold touch your cheek and straighten awake. It's still dark outside, the sunlight just beginning to win the battle with the night.

 You fumble around the pillows, trying to sense what exactly you felt and your hands close around something. You hold it up to the window and see it's a heavy silver flower, gleaming in your fingers.

  _Rumplestiltskin_ , you think immediately.

 You're conflicted. On the one hand you find the gesture sweet but on the other you wonder if he's trying to make you forget the events of the night. You have no room in your head for these emotions. It's extremely exhausting. You throw the flower into the seat of the armchair across from you and roll over, pulling the pillow snugly around your head and drift off again.

 When your breaths become easy and steady, a figure in the corner of the room slinks out of the door before closing it slowly with one last dejected look towards the bed.

 

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

 

When morning comes you feel rotten. Your head pounds with the tension of a headache and you feel like you've barely had any sleep. You're quite sure you hair must resemble a thicket though you daren't check...and besides you didn't want to make an effort with yourself today.

 You sit on the edge of the bed, elbows resting on your knees and just thinking. You could always leave. There was nothing in the contract to suggest you were bound to this profession forever nor this castle. You didn't need to finish his ledger.

 You stand and dress yourself. You'd made up your mind. You'd grown too attached to Rumplestiltskin and you needed some time away. If you put some distance between you and him maybe you could figure out your own feelings. Some time was all you needed and then you would return, you promised yourself.

 You take a travelling cloak out of the closet and some thick hide boots. You don't take anything extra with you. You weren't going to be accused of stealing.

 You walk down the familiar corridor and through the empty dining hall. As expected, Rumplestiltskin is nowhere to be seen. He's mostly likely creating new deals or just avoiding you altogether like usual. 

 You're in the entrance hall now and out of the door. You see the forest stretching far before you. You stop and sigh, not quite sure that you're fully committing to going. You stood there for a long time, just staring at the tree line.

 "So you're just going to leave?" a voice says from behind you.

 You jump and spin around to see Rumplestiltskin holding the silver flower and twiddling it between his hands.

 "I shouldn't be surprised," he continues. "I didn't think you'd stick around long once you saw me for what I really am, despite all your protests." He sneers at you.

 Adrenalin starts tensing your muscles. You're inexplicably angry at his cheap attempts to provoke you. "I know what you're doing Rumplestiltskin! You're trying to rile me up. It won't work."

 Rumple laughs and flicks the flower around like it's a wand, "Oh no, dearie. I'm just stating what's true. You looked into the soul of the Dark One and you fled. There's no shame in that."

 Your legs carry you towards him with a mind of their own. "And there's no shame in admitting you lost control and couldn't stop yourself."

 "There's no control to lose. I do exactly what I want to, when I want to." With each word he advances, step by step and closing the distance between you.

 "It's all just bluster!" you cry. "You just won't admit it!"

 His nose is almost touching yours, he's that close now. "Don't make me prove it, girl. You won't like what you see." He flashed you a crocodilian grin.

 You square your shoulders, too much on the defensive. "And what will I see?! A man's who's heartbroken and won't admit it? Or a man that's too afraid to admit he enjoys a woman's company and so he pushes her away?"

 His eyes go wide and his nostrils flare. You've definitely hit a nerve. He seems too incensed to speak and his jaw is clenched tight.

 You can't help yourself any more. The words keep tumbling out. You want to push him so far he finally drops the charade he's invented for himself. "I'm not simple. I know you fell in love with Belle, I saw the deal you made, so stop pretending you're this emotionless beast! You're capable of goodness!"

 "I HAVE TO BE EMOTIONLESS!" he roars and you feel the wave of anger fly out from him.

 You step back out of shock, your arms shaking hard from the tension.

 "She left me!" he spits out. "Just like you're going to leave me now...so what's the point of emotions if they're just going to be painful. A beast is all I'll ever be and so be it. I told you before, dearie, I'm the Dark One. It's in the name."

 You reach your hand out to him but he just stares mournfully at it, clutching the flower to his chest.

"Just go," he says, quietly. "The path ahead will take you where you need to go."

 "But, I don't-" you begin.

 He drops the flower to the ground and disappears in a plume of smoke.

 "Oh no you don't!" you yell into the air. "Get back here, Rumplestiltskin!"

 Nothing. Only the whispering of the trees in the wind.

 You feel like you'd finally gotten somewhere with him. There was a man behind the Dark One and he was in pain. If you could just show him that there was a better way, that there are good emotions with the bad ones...

 You had made up your mind the second he'd appeared behind you to stay but now you had fresh purpose. You charged back up to the entrance door but it slams shut in front of you. You pull at the handle but it's stuck fast. You brace your leg against the other door and yank back with all your strength but it won't budge an inch. You mutter some choice curse words and kick the door for all the good it did.

 He'd shut you out, literally. You'd almost laugh if you weren't so energised from the argument.

 You grab the silver flower and sit down on the step by the door, wrapping the cloak around yourself and yell into the sky, "I'm not leaving! Do you hear me, Rumplestiltskin! I'm going to sit here until you open this door! I'll sit here all day and all night if I have to!"

 

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

 

Rumple watched you from the castle tower. You'd not moved from the step for some hours now.

  _Why was she not leaving?_

He was sure you'd run off after your heated spat. He'd practically revealed his inner feelings to you like some love sick peasant boy, though not in so many words. You just had to keep pushing him and pushing him. He was surprised you'd worked it out about Belle and hurt you'd use it against him like that. It was always his trick to provoke people, not the other way around.

  _Leave her out there,_ he thought. _She'll give up soon, just like Belle did. I'll have been right not to let her in to my heart._

More hours passed and the sun was now setting. You were now lying along the step, staring into the clouds.

  _Why does she not go?_

From his high perch in the tower he could faintly hear you singing to yourself, not clear enough to discern the lyrics but enough that he could hear the melody.

 Night time fell and you were curled up in your cloak, shivering gently in the cool breeze.

  _Just go, girl_. _Just leave. You deserve better than this, better than me._ But in his heart he knew he was secretly hoping you'd stay.

 The night got colder and you were shivering harder now. Rumple was biting his fingernails in anxiousness, shards of yellow nails falling to the ground.

 Were you really going to stay there all night? Did you really mean what you said? You were really going to stay with him?

 Another hour passed. Rumple was practically leaning out of the tower window to look at you. You'd stopped moving. His heart dropped. Had you frozen to death whilst he stubbornly watched on?

 He put aside his pettiness and appeared next to you. He winced looking at your blue tinted lips and grey skin and shook you. You didn't respond.

 "No no no no no, come back to me my turnip princess!" he shook harder. He could faintly see the jagged wisps of your breath as they hit the cold air. _She's alive._

 He scooped you up and appeared back in the room with the giant fireplace. He laid you down gently in front of it and cast a fireball into the grate sending roaring flames high into the chimney. The heat took a while to start eking out into the chamber and he pulled you into his lap, wrapping his body tightly to yours trying to lend you some warmth.

 "Come on, dearie," he laughed nervously to himself. "Time to wake."

 The colour came back into your cheeks after some time and your breath was no longer ragged. He placed one of his hands on your cheek and sighed in relief. You were no longer cold.

 He picked you up and appeared with you in your bedroom, placing you in the bed and magicking extra blankets on top of you as well as a bed pan with simmering coals to place under the sheets.

 He held himself back from lying in the bed with you and settled for pulling the armchair right up to the bed frame, before ensconcing himself on it. He watched you intently, on edge, observing every rise and fall of your chest and the pallor of your skin.

 He'd nearly killed you with his obstinance, all because you'd dared to speak up for yourself and question his bluffs. Deep down he should have known you didn't really want to leave. You'd hesitated in the door frame for so long before he spoke up but he had to chose to be spiteful and aggressive. Look where it had gotten him.

 But...you stayed. Despite the horrors of what you had seen and despite him baring his soul, you stayed all day and most of the night. You nearly died trying to prove your point. _Just as stubborn as I am,_ he chuckled quietly to himself.

 Hope was flickering in his chest, the same hope he felt that night on the spinning stool. Maybe you felt the same as he.

 Out of the corner of his eye he saw his Dark One guide, Zoso, looking at him reproachfully.

 "Be gone, I don't need you," Rumple hissed.

 "She will leave you eventually," Zoso said, one eyebrow raised. "I don't know why you're so infatuated. She's not even seen the extent of your power and she was going to run away."

 "But she stayed. That means she's at least willing to try and see the man."

 Zoso laughed heartily. "There's not much of a man left to see. Besides, you've nearly lost her twice in as many months. What makes you think you'll be able to protect her?"

 "I'll find a way," Rumple sneered. "There's always more power to be found and when I find it, no one will ever hurt her again."

 "Not even, you?" Zoso said knowingly.

 "I said be gone." Rumple said more forcefully. He screwed his eyes shut and concentrated hard. When he opened them again, the Dark One of old was no longer there.

 He turned back to you, concerned you were beginning to move, seemingly in a bad dream. He waved a hand over your brow and magic settled there, taking the nightmare away from you. Instinctively or not, you grabbed his hand in your fervour and gripped it tightly.

 Rumple squeezed your hand lightly and used the other to stroke your face, calming you down subconsciously. You soon became peaceful but your hold on his hand didn't lessen.

 

"I'm here, my darlin'," he whispered. "And I'll never let you go again."


	9. Our Deal Can Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You awake after nearly dying to see Rumplestiltskin by your side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for fluff.  
> Thanks for the feedback and Kudos so far!

You awake to the sound of Rumple singing to you softly, some long lost lullaby of days gone by. All you could feel around you was warmth, delicious warmth of soft blankets and the still toasting bed pan sending waves of heat through your toes. Your bones felt so so heavy and all you could do was bathe in the comfort you felt as Rumple continued his melody. You didn't want to let on that you were awake. You just wanted this feeling to last.

_He let me in. He does care._

You lay there for a time drinking in the sumptuousness of it all and involuntarily sighed with contentment.

“Little princess?” he said.

He'd guessed you were awake now. You opened your eyes and turned to look at him, your eyes blinking as they adjusted to the daylight. You opened your mouth to speak but your throat was so ravaged that you could only make a strangled squeak.

Rumple came close to you and stroked your head.

“I'm here. You gave me quite a scare, dearie!”

You tried to speak again but more hoarseness falls from your throat.

“Right, right,” Rumple says, magicking a mug with steam rising from the top. He lifted your head from the pillows and brought the cup to your lips.

You weren't quite sure of the colour. It looked intensely muddy, but when you swallowed it coated your mouth in such a delicious flavour and you felt it running down your body, opening your words once again.

“I knew you wouldn't leave me out there all night,” you laugh weakly.

Rumple looks sheepishly down at the flagged floor and sets the mug down there.

“I'm sorry about that,” he mumbles like a scolded child. “Seems I never listened to those I loved and let the darkness in me push someone away again. I did exactly the same with Belle, you're right and I did the same to my Bae.”

“Bae?” you ask curiously.

You visibly see Rumple start to clam up and you know he's going to change the subject again. You quickly reach out and grasp his hand. He flinches slightly but you don't let go.

“Who is Bae?” you ask.

“My son,” he replies after a lengthy pause. “I lost him a long time ago.”

“He died?”

“No, I....look I don't really want to talk about this, I-”

“Please,” you interrupt, giving his hand a small squeeze. “I want to know your pain so I can help you through it, just like you helped me through mine.”

He looks plaintively at you with those unnaturally yellow eyes and seems to be wrestling with himself.

“I wasn't always the Dark One. I lived as an ordinary man with a wife and my son, Baelfire. I lost my wife to a pirate captain so I sought the powers of the Dark One to bring my family back but my Bae....he hated my powers. He even feared them I think. I had the chance to move with him to a new world, a land without magic and I...I was a coward.” He pulled back his hand and brought it to his face, covering his eyes. “I couldn't let go of my powers. They made me strong, strong for Bae. He opened a portal and I said I wouldn't leave with him, not when I could protect him here in the Enchanted Forest. The portal took him away and left me behind.”

“He's still alive then?” you ask. “He's just lost?”

“Lost to me. I've searched many realms trying to find him.”

Your heart pains to see the haunted look on his face and you sit up in the bed, ignoring your protesting muscles and hug him tightly. At first he's stiff but he soon relaxes into it and places his hands on your back.

“He's out there. You'll find him. I know you will.”

“What if he hates me?” Rumple whispers quietly.

You pull away, your hands on his shoulders and look at him squarely.

“A father who searches across worlds for his son? He'll forgive you. You could have easily forgotten him and moved on but you haven't.”

Rumple smiles, weakly at first and then it spreads across his face into something more cryptic.

“I hope so, my little princess. Soon, I'll have the opportunity to find out.”

You look at him quizzically, “What do you mean?”

“Do you trust me?” he says, looking deep into your eyes, searching for something.

You breathe sharply, a little concerned but nod, “Yes, yes I do trust you. Why?”

“Something will happen soon. Something that'll take us to the Land Without Magic but I'll need to set those wheels properly in motion. The pieces are all aligned and ready to be used.” His pitch was becoming higher again and the hand gestures were coming back in his excitement. “Soon, dearie, soon I'll be with my boy...and I want to take you with me but I'll need you to understand and to let me start this process. I'm going to need to be away and I'll be away for some time. You may not see me again until the journey is complete....are you willing to wait for me?”

“I don't understand.” Your head is really spinning now. New lands, secret plans, what did it all mean? “You're going to take us to the Land Without Magic to find Baelfire but you need me to stay behind here? How is that even possible?”

“It'll all become clear soon, my dear. Now...will you wait for me?”

“How will I know you're safe?” you ask.

He looks at you like you've spoken several curse words at him. “You want to know if I'm safe?”

You sit up indignantly, “I'm pretty sure I just almost froze to death on your doorstep trying to prove a point that I wouldn't leave your side. You can't expect me to just sit here whilst you do all this alone? Or at least, without knowing you're alright.”

The charade drops once more and you see than man in Rumple more clearly, the vulnerability shining through behind the glittering skin.

“Why?” is all he asks. “Why do you care so much for a monster like me? I drive away everyone.”

“Not me,” you laugh, waving your hands in a greeting. “Look, I'm still here!”

He chuckles at your silliness and places a hand on your cheek.

“I really don't deserve you, little princess.”

“Not really your choice,” you huff and fold your arms, looking like you meant business.

“You're such a stubborn girl,” he laughs, stroking your face gently.

“My father called it more...high spirited,” you say, smirking.

Rumple sighs and you place your hand over his on your cheek, pressing it to your skin more firmly. You could swear his eyes were changing, taking on the tone of a rich warm brown, the yellow fading slowly. He places his forehead to yours and closes his eyes, as if sensing you were staring.

“Will you wait for me?” he asks again more earnestly. It seems this question is more important to him than anything else.

“I'll wait for you, Rumplestiltskin,” you whisper.

You sense his smile rather than see it, one of genuine warmth and he ducks his head, placing his lips on yours. In that moment the whole world seems to drown out and all you can feel is the sensation and the rush of energy.

He draws back from you, despite you trying to chase the kiss and you blink.

Before you is Rumplestiltskin but the mottled green is gone, replaced by normal skin with all it's lines and scars, the wavy hair giving way to a rougher, shaggier brown with flecks of grey and the deep brown eyes shine through brightly.

“You're-” you start.

He smiles at you, “This is who I was before. Remember me as this, turnip princess. Find me in the Land Without Magic. Wait for me.”

He stands up and backs away from you, the green and gold creeping back up his skin and he gives you one last beaming look with those brown eyes before they surrender themselves to the yellow of before.

“Rumple, I-” you begin but he holds up his hand to stop you.

“I know, dearie. I know. Farewell for now.”

Just like that he's gone.

A whirl of emotions runs through you. He kissed you! He kissed you but he also left you. You weren't sure what any of this meant. You didn't even know what you were supposed to do now. You just sat there staring dumbly at the spot where he'd just been before shaking your head and grabbing the mug from the floor.

You downed the contents feeling the warm liquid soothe your soul and wonder...

_What are you going to do, Rumplestiltskin?_

  
_~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~_   
  


You fill your days with ledger work. That's all you can do right now. The food and drink still appear on time but you've heard nothing from Rumple for some weeks. You live in a haze of writing, eating and sleeping. Sometimes you walk to his spinning wheel and spin the silver thread like he had taught you to do on the nights where sleep was not finding you. It soothed you briefly but did not stop the ache in your heart.

You missed him. That much was clear. You'd finally gotten to the point where both of your feelings were out in the open, all for him to go and disappear again.

You sighed and wondered why you were putting yourself through this. How much longer was he going to take?

A crash and rumble split the sky and you jumped, spilling ink over the desk. You panicked and grabbed a rag, hastily mopping it up before it could reach the ledger. Once it was contained you looked outside.  
  
Thunder? A storm?  
  
You saw thick clouds of angry purple smoke, flashing as it rolled over the trees.

_What on earth was this? Is this Rumple's doing?_

You lean out of the tower window, trying to get a better look. The wind is howling and you faintly hear the screams of people mixed in with the wailing of the clouds. The smoke was gaining on the castle and you backed away from the window before running down the stairs. The smoke followed you and snaked behind you as you ran, lighting up the corridor as it flashed with menace.

“No!” you cried, as it caught you, enveloping every inch of you and invading your body. “Rumple!”

And like that, you faded from this world.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

Far away in the belly of the dungeons, Rumplestiltskin giggled to himself. It was working. The curse was working. Soon he would cross worlds and then...he could find Bae.

He heard you cry out for him and he steeled his heart. The curse had to continue. He would find Bae, then find you and when he did, you could be a family. Sure it would take some work with your memory wiped to get you to remember but all he had to do was wait for the Charming's daughter to arrive. The saviour.

“Emma,” he rasped before giggling once more as the smoke poured in to greet him.

 


	10. A Deal Forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's just another day in Storybrooke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one night? Well, if inspiration strikes, I have to write it all down.  
> This is a smaller chapter than the previous one but I'm doing some scene setting!
> 
> (Also your Storybrooke name is very on the nose)

The bell above the shop door rung with earnest and you looked up from your cataloguing work.

“Mr Gold,” you smile. “Welcome back!”

He gives you a warm smile and walks to the back of the shop, resting his cane on the hook behind the counter. He comes over to you as he usually does to inspect your records.

“Quite a few finds we've had lately,” he muses.

“I think we may need to get a separate display for the hand items, like the bracers, gauntlets and cuffs,” you say, idly chewing the end of your pen. “I can order in some mannequin hands to jazz them up a bit before putting them out but we're going to need to try and shift them before the stock gets overcrowded.”

“I'll leave that to you, dearie, you've got a good eye for this sort of thing.”

Mr Gold stays behind you and you feel his eyes raking your body. It didn't make you uncomfortable at all. In fact you secretly hoped he'd take in the new way you'd done your hair or the fact you'd used a different perfume. You stayed with your body hunched over the counter, not daring to get back up and letting him enjoy the view.

He placed one hand on either side of you on the counter and leaned in to inspect one of your more interesting records on a leather bracer he'd acquired. You could smell his heady cologne and feel his breath as he leaned in further.

“I think....” he began.

“Yes?” you said, trying to keep your voice steady.

He straightened up and backed away from you, the intimate demeanour gone and the boss persona coming back. “I think you need to get that name tag fixed up. It looks unkempt and I can't have my staff making the business look bad.”

You glance down at the small black badge on your blazer lapel with it's gold cursive.

  
_Natalie Turner_  
  
  


It's a little faded now with most of your first name peeling away.

You blush, feeling embarrassed that your usual impeccable self was not up to standard. “I'm sorry, Mr Gold. I'll get it replaced as soon as possible,” you babble.

He holds up a hand to stop you and laughs, “It's ok, Nate, just get it seen to.”

“I will,” you promise, nodding emphatically.

With that, he disappears into the back room and you let your body relax a little.

You really liked it when he called you Nate. It seems liked a little nickname that only the two of you shared. You smiled fondly. You knew it was quite futile having feelings for your boss. He didn't seem like the kind of man who let many people get close. It was practically blowing hot and cold all the time. One minute he'd be close to you and you'd feel like you were having a moment and the next he'd disappear out into Storybrooke collecting his debts or searching for antiquities.

Maybe one day, you sighed. Maybe one day, you'd get the courage to make a move. For now, you were quite content in your little job.

  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
Rumple came back into the shop and was greeted by your beaming smile. He couldn't help but return it. Even in this realm you found the optimism in everything.

He noticed that you quickly smoothed your blazer sleeves, trying to keep yourself as professional looking as possible for him.

He came around the counter and caught the citrusy scent of your perfume.

_That's new_ , he thought. _She's breaking out of the pattern. Emma must be nearly here._

It had been twenty eight years since the curse took hold. Every day Rumple wished the arrival of the saviour would come sooner. It was hard having the same interactions with you, hard to see that you didn't know him as anything other than Mr Gold. He longed to scoop you in his arms and for you to be his little turnip princess once more.

Without realising it he was leaning over you now, hands either side of your body. He saw you'd braided strands of your hair into a rose at the crown of your head and studied every detail of the shine of your locks before the intake of your breath reminded him that this was not appropriate. He pretended to be interested in one of his records, all the while secretly taking in the mix of your perfume and the scent of vanilla still lingering in your hair.

He was getting too involved now. He pulled back and made a remark about your name badge. He had no idea if in your Storybrooke persona that you even liked him back any more. He had to set the tone back to employer and employee. He would not risk losing you before the curse could be undone for some foolish romantic gesture.

You looked slightly crushed and he felt a pang, trying to reassure you everything was okay before rushing into the back room before he did something else half-witted.

_Emma had better get here soon_ , he thought.

 


	11. A deal's unfamiliarities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry pays the shop a visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long pause.  
> I've tried to get something quick out!  
> Hopefully I'll be able to get a regular schedule going soon.

The doorbell rang as Henry crashed into the shop.

“Natalie?!” he called out.

You ran to the counter, wondering what on earth was going on.

“Have you seen my mom?”

“Regina? She's not been by in some time.”

“No, my other mom. She's blonde, wears a red jacket?”

“Erm,” you try and process the information. “Other mom?”

“There's no time to explain. Regina's trying to scare her away and I wondered if she had come here?”

“Sorry, Henry, I've not seen anyone like that.”

The doorbell rings out and Mr Gold steps into the shop. Henry backs away a little and you think he may be a little scared.

“Henry,” Mr Gold says, leaning heavily on his cane, a reproachful look on his face. “You're distracting my assistant.”

“I'm sorry, Mr Gold,” Henry mumbles, shifting uncomfortably.

You take his arm gently and lean over the counter, “If I see her, I'll let you know.” You smile at Henry warmly.

Henry gives you a genuine smile and scoots quickly out of the shop, past the discerning eye of Mr Gold.  
  
“Was he giving you trouble?” Gold asks, one eyebrow raised.

“Not at all,” you smile. “I was just a bit confused by him saying other mom.”

Gold sighs and walks towards the counter, leaning his stick against it and placing his two hands on the unit for support. “Yes, Henry's birth mother is in Storybrooke. There's a bit of tension going on with her and Regina as can be expected.”

“Ah right,” you say, nodding wisely. You knew full well how hostile the mayor could be even to those she knew well, let alone a virtual stranger to the town.

“Nate,” Gold says, breaking you out of your reverie. He pauses for a time whilst you look at him expectantly. “I'd like you to join me for dinner tonight.”

You look at him stunned. Was he asking you on a date?

“I'd like to talk about some future business proposals regarding the shop,” he continues, watching you warily.

Your heart slightly drops as you realise there's no romantic intention but you keep the fake smile on your face and say, “Certainly, Mr Gold. What time would you like to have dinner?”

“After we close the shop. I'll prepare something in the rear room and we can discuss there.”

“Of course,” you say. You're slightly disheartened you won't even have time to change but if it is just a business meeting, there's not much point. You're slightly kicking yourself again that you're letting your schoolgirl crush take over.

“Back to work, dear,” he says, giving you a pointed look before disappearing into the backroom.

“Yes, Mr Gold.” You return to polishing the wood, determined to get it looking shiny and clean, just the way he likes it.

You busy yourself with this task as well as cleaning the glass of the display cases until the door bursts open violently and Regina storms in, eyes blazing. The door knocks you over as you're standing next to it and you crash into a case, sending the display to the ground and smashing the glass everywhere.

“GOLD?!” she roars. “Get here now!”

You try to push yourself back up but you cry out in pain as your hand is sliced open by an errant shard.

Mr Gold comes out of the backroom calmly at first but he catches sight of the carnage and you cradling your bloody hand and his eyes flare with anger.

“You've hurt my assistant,” he hisses.

“She'll be fine,” Regina says, waving a dismissive hand, not even looking at you. “Now where is my son?!”

“You'd do well, Madam mayor,” Gold says forcefully, “to remember that you are the architect of your own world and thus the architect of your destruction. Now, would you leave my shop and apologise to Natalie, _please_.”

Regina gives him a hateful stare and you see something unspoken pass between them. She attempts to speak but cannot get the words out. She turns around, seemingly against her will and throws a quick glance your way before muttering, “Sorry” and leaving the shop.

Gold waits until she has gone before coming over to you, pulling his white handkerchief out from his suit pocket and using it to dab the blood on your hand.

You try to protest, “No, you really don't have to. You'll stain it.”

“Relax,” he says calmly. “Look at me.”

You're more concerned at the blossoming red that's marring his white kerchief that you don't hear him the first time until he says more strongly, “Nate, look at me.”

You look up into his eyes and see the concern laid out there. He comes close to you, one hand on yours, swiping gently at the mess and one hand rests under your chin, pulling your face up towards him. You allow yourself to enjoy the sensation, hoping that this means he has some feeling towards you hidden in those soft brown eyes.

“All done,” he says, holding up the kerchief which contains the offensive shard. You look down at your hand in amazement and see it is completely void of glass.

“I didn't even feel it,” you say amazed, turning your hand over. You can't even see the wound any more.

“Stay there,” Gold says. “I'll fetch the medical kit.”

You lay there on the floor, still trying to understand how you couldn't see the cut on your palm until he returns with a small bowl of water and a tiny first aid box. He uses a flannel and wipes the remnants of the clotted blood away before examining your hand closely.

“Doesn't look like you'll need any bandages,” he says, running a thumb over your skin. “You can get up now.”

He stands, leaning on a nearby plinth and offers his hand to you. You take it and he pulls you up but you're propelled too far forward and end up crashing into his chest. Your hands fly out trying to stop yourself and you end up wrapped in his arms as he steadies you.

“I'm..I'm so sorry, Mr Gold. I lost my balance,” you mutter, not daring to look up.

“It's alright Nate,” he says, rubbing your back gently in a soothing motion.

You both stay like that for a time before he pulls away and coughs to correct himself. “Get that cleaned up and we'll move onto dinner.”

You blink, a little lost. “Oh...of course.”

Mr Gold leaves hurriedly into the back room. _Great job Nate_ , you think. _You scared him off._ You go to grab the dustpan and broom and start sweeping up the shattered glass. You go over and over in your mind the little encounter you just had, blowing everything out of proportion as per usual. Finally you right the case and put all the objects back.

You look out of the window, a little sadly, and see a blonde woman walking by, holding Henry's hand. You smile, guess he found her after all. Henry catches you looking out of the window and waves to you. You wave back and the woman turns towards you. She seems a little stressed but she nods politely.

Well that was at least one mystery solved.

“Nate?” Mr Gold calls.

“Coming,” you shout back before drawing yourself away from the window. You feel a little uneasy, like something is brewing in the air. The town feels different somehow. Something is coming.

 


	12. A Deal Remembered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for your dinner with Mr Gold but things are never simple in the town of Storybrooke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the major canon divergence point. I didn't want to include Belle as I felt it would be unnecessary drama. Just a stylistic choice!

You walk into the backroom and see that there is a table laid out with a beautiful ornate cloth over it. Two wine glasses stand proudly either side filled with ruby liquid and next to those were plates of your favourite food.

“Do you like it?” Mr Gold asks, eyes studying you.

“How did you know these are my favourites?” you ask incredulously.

“Let's say I have a keen eye,” he smiles secretively.

He motions for you to sit down and you do so, trying to look as graceful as possible. He sits in the other seat.

“How are you feeling?” he asks.

“I'm ok,” you say, gathering cutlery to yourself. “Seems like it wasn't as bad as it looked.”

“I'm glad,” he says, eyes twinkling. “Regina can often stick her nose in where it's not welcome.”

“I don't think I've ever seen someone stand up to her like you did. It was really something to see,” you say, admiration on your face.

Mr Gold seems a little embarrassed and waves his hand like it was nothing, “She is someone who's not used to people saying no to her. Anyway, Nate, to dinner.”

“Oh, yes!” you say, realising your fork is hovering over the plate.

You start to eat. The food is wonderful. It is piping hot and melts on your tongue. You can't believe he was so observant as to guess this was your favourite meal. You knew nothing ever got past him but you didn't realise he studied you quite so much.

You look up and see that Mr Gold has not even started his food yet. He's sitting there, intensely staring, hands tented on the table.

“Is something wrong?” you ask, a little nervous.

“Not at all, my dear. I was just waiting for the right time to start talking business.”

You set your fork down and straighten your blouse out a little. How silly of you to forget this wasn't anything more than a meeting.

“Of course, Mr Gold. Whenever you're ready.”

He nods placidly and begins, “I'd like to offer you a position as deputy manager of the shop.”

You stare at him in shock. Did you hear him right?

“Deputy manager?” you ask.

“Precisely. There are some things which are cropping up lately and I may need to be away more regularly than usual. I can think of no one better than my dutiful assistant.”

You burst into a wide smile, “Thank you, Mr Gold! I would be happy to accept!”

He smiles warmly back at you, the corners of his eyes creasing, “Wonderful. Let's toast to a new venture.”

You take your wine glass and clink it against his before taking a long sip. The alcohol spreads heat across your face and down into your chest. Wow this was strong. You suppressed the small cough rising in your throat. You couldn't look like a naïve girl in front of him. You swear you catch a hint of amusement in his eyes but you can't be sure.

He finally starts to eat and you become calmer now. It feels less like an interrogation and more natural. He politely makes conversation about your hobbies outside of work and you answer gamely, telling him anything he wants to know. His next question almost makes you choke on your food, however.

“Tell me Nate, are you courting any one right now?”

You try not to splutter and quickly grab more wine in an attempt to wash the food down. You can feel the creeping sensation of tipsiness coming upon you.

“Erm...no, Mr Gold. I'm not seeing anyone right now.”

“Interesting,” he says, regarding you closely. “Nobody on the horizon?”

You're not sure whether the wine is affecting you or not since you don't usually drink but you think there is some intention to what he is asking.

“Ah...there is somebody I like but I am not sure whether the feeling is mutual,” you blush deeply, hoping he won't probe any further.

Mr Gold's eyes flash but you're not sure whether it's with anger or mischief, “Tell me about him.”

“Why do you want to know?” you ask, slightly emboldened by the alcohol.

“Just curious, my dear,” he says, leaning back in the chair, an unreadable expression on his face.

“Well...he's...ah....very kind, he's...ummm....kind of mysterious....” you trail off, afraid you will give yourself away.

Mr Gold leans forward across the table, coming close to you, “You like mysterious men?”

You catch the heady scent of his cologne as hovers close to you, eyes burning with intensity.

“Yes,” you say, meekly.

He holds your gaze and you feel like you're drowning in his presence. Your heart is hammering in your chest, adrenalin freezing you to the spot. Why was he being so overwhelming?

“Does this mysterious man have a name?”

_Oh no_ , you think. You bite your lip to prevent the words from coming out.

The ringing of the shop phone makes you jump and the moment you had is broken. Mr Gold looks annoyed as he makes his excuses and leaves the table to answer it. You sit there whilst he does, desperately trying to put your mind back in order. You can't believe you almost revealed you had feelings for him!

Mr Gold comes back to the room, “I'm sorry Nate, I've got some business to attend to. Would you mind clearing up and closing up the shop?”

“Not at all,” you stammer.

He nods impatiently and leaves.

With your head back in the present you start to hear strange noises from outside. It almost seems as if people are panicking. You go to the front entrance and look outside of the shutters. You see the townsfolk running around and wonder what on earth is going on.

The ground below you suddenly lurches and you cling onto the window to desperately stay on your feet. An earthquake? What's going on?

It finally subsides and you're thankful it hasn't knocked anything over. You don't fancy cleaning up any more mess today.

You clear away the table and start doing the shutdown routine, cashing up and logging the day's takings before moving to pull down the shutters.

Mr Gold barrels through the door and you squeak in surprise.

“Nate, come with me, now,” he orders. His eyes look wild and he's grasping a bottle filled with a swirling pink and purple mixture.

“What? I don't understand,” you say in bewilderment.

“NATE,” he roars and you blanch in surprise before taking his outstretched hand.

He practically drags you out of the shop and up towards the forest.

“Where are we going?” you ask, your feet scuffing the ground as you try to keep up.

“You'll see, darling,” he says, the excitement rampant in his voice.

You notice he's not even using his stick but is practically racing up the hill.

You stop at the old wishing well and he turns to you, gripping your shoulders tightly.

“Everything is going to be clear soon, Nate. Things moved forward faster than I was expecting but everything is going to be alright. You'll remember soon.”

You're confused by what he is saying. You've never seen him so uncomposed before. It was scaring you a little bit.

You hear a noise rustling in the trees and you turn to see a golden wave rushing towards you. You don't have time to say anything before it careens into you, knocking you back slightly.

Images tumble through your head, a life lived in another land. Castles, forests, balls, princes, all of this whirls through your mind until it settles on one thing.

You spin around, looking at Mr Gold's expectant face and you see the ghost of that glittering green hue cross it briefly.

“Rumple?” you ask.

He smiles widely, “My little turnip princess.” He opens his arms to you and you rush into them, feeling him squeeze you tightly in a warm embrace. One hand comes up to stroke your hair and he sighs heavily next to your ear, breathing in the smell of your hair. “It has been so difficult knowing that you didn't remember me.”

You let yourself relax in his arms and grip the lapel of his suit jacket lightly as if you were afraid he would vanish.

“The mysterious man,” you say.

“Hmm?” he asks, peppering the top of your head with small kisses.

“When I was Nate, the mysterious man, it was you.”

You feel him smile against you, “I'd hoped it was me. Though you did have me worried for a while there, dearie.”

He pulls away and you feel the rush of Nate's love and your own colliding before it settles, your memories starting to lay in synchronicity.

“There's something I have to do first,” he says and takes the stopper out of the bottle before pouring it into the wishing well. “Time to bring magic back to Storybrooke. No one will ever dare try to take you away from me once I have my magic back.”

You see the purple plumes of smoke billow upwards and out of the well and you cling to Rumple, slightly afraid.

“It's alright, little princess, I'll never let you go,” he says, placing one hand beneath your chin and pulling your face up to his. As the purple smoke engulfs you both, you kiss like the world around you does not exist. There is only the two of you and nothing will ever break that apart again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This marks the end of the Turnip Princess saga. I feel like this is a good natural stopping point.  
> Hope you enjoyed it!  
> Maybe I'll revisit it again sometime but for now, thanks for reading!


End file.
